


After School

by KarrieBW



Category: Death Note & Related Fandoms, Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Kira, Domestic Fluff, Fix-it fic, M/M, Shotacon, alternate universe - L lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 08:34:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23468476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KarrieBW/pseuds/KarrieBW
Summary: In an alternate universe where Kira doesn't exist, Near asks L to go to a normal school, while following him in the USA for his new case. And L delivers. The two end up living with Watari, who always has his watchful eyes set on them. This is just a snapshot of their daily life.
Relationships: L & Near | Nate River, L/Near | Nate River
Comments: 7
Kudos: 17





	After School

**Author's Note:**

> A few things before we start;
> 
> For this story, I headcanon Near to have some physical and health problems. I see him as having troubles with his legs, and having low blood-sugar. Those problems are explained analytically in the fic, but just to be clear.

Watari entered L’s office carrying a silver tray with sweets, as usual.

He left the tray on the glass table and approached the detective’s desk, who at the moment was trying to build a tower of sugar cubes, while working on his newest case at the same time.

“L, may I have your attention for a while? I’d like us to talk”.

L stopped stacking the sugar cubes and looked at the elderly man behind him with an almost tired gaze, as if he already knew the subject of their conversation.

“No, Watari”. Said the detective. “I cannot discuss this matter right now. As you can see, I am occupied”.

“How do you know which subject I want us to discuss? I haven’t told you about it yet”.

“It does not require any special thought process. There is a great probability of you wanting to talk to me about Near. Almost 100%, especially if one takes into account your behaviour for the past few days. Ever since we decided to temporarily move to America, in order for me to solve the latest case I’ve taken up, you have almost reached the point of not greeting me with a ‘good morning’ everyday. More specifically, your first words are; ‘L, you should break up with Near’ and then you say ‘good morning’”.

“Now I think you’re exaggerating, L. Although I do believe we both know that the reason of our moving to America is not your latest case. You certainly could have solved your case from England. But you chose not to. Instead, we moved to New York, so quickly as though we were being hunt down, all because little Near asked you to go to a ‘normal’ school”.

L shrugged in a nonchalant way. “Near only asked a favour of me. Since I could fulfill it, I thought it would be a pity not to. Besides, I can also combine it with work. While Near is at school, or studying, I will be working on the case, and once he is free from his school duties, I will spend time with him. I wouldn’t say that us coming to New York has as many negative aspects as you present it to have”.

“It’s not just about your own work, L”. Watari insisted. “Near will fall behind on his studies at the orphanage too, should he stay here for a long period of time”.

“Invoking the right of his mentor, I think I can allow something like this. There’s no need to worry in the slightest. Putting aside the fact that I have, of course, arranged for Roger to send us the tests via e-mail, so that Near will be able to maintain his level, he is quite intelligent. I am confident he’ll manage to adapt to the others’ rhythm immediately once we return”.

Watari folded his hands in front of his chest and shook his head from side to side a bit judgmentally. “I still cannot believe you took him from the House. Even if it’s temporary. The want to go to a common school was just an impulse of the moment. His classes and his studies back at the orphanage are of far greater importance. How did you allow this, L?”

“You know very well Near’s actions are not led by ‘impulses’. But even if they were, Near has always been an extremely introverted individual. I am aware that he has absolutely no friends back at the orphanage. This might as well be a chance for him to socialise”. L explained. “Shouldn’t this make you content, even to a tiny extent, as the one who discovered him?”

“You could be right. But…-“

The detective cut him off before he could complete his sentence. “Watari, do you remember Elizabeth, by any chance?” L asked, holding a sugar cube delicately, as if inspecting it.

The elderly gentleman fixed his glasses on his face. “Of course I remember her. She had been my wife, after all. But how is this related to…-”

He was cut off yet again. “I remember her as well”. The phrase sounded more like a monologue and less of a part of an actual conversation. “I remember the relationship between the two of you too. Whatever Elizabeth asked of you, you always tried to make it happen, if you were able to. Because you loved her so very much. That was obvious. That’s why you always did your best. No matter how ‘unreasonable’ the desire was, no matter what impulse it stemmed from”.

“Do not compare such situations, L! The circumstances are completely different! Elizabeth and I share no similarities whatsoever with… with you and Near”. 

L focused on his helper for a single moment. “That may be so, but…” He started, almost absently and resumed his inspection of the sugar cube in his fingers. “…I love him”. He finally said in a determined tone.

There was a small pause. Watari didn’t know what to say. He remained motionless, staring at the young man before him. (He could calculate by himself that his blood-pressure must be well over 15 at the moment.)

“My knowledge on the field of human relationships may be more than limited, but even I know a fundamental thing or two. The first is that I love Near, and the second is that we are not given a choice over the people we love”.

“L…” Watari began.

“It sounds twisted. I know so better than anyone. Call me a pedophile, if you like. Or a pervert, or any other term you want. It won’t affect me, nor make me change my mind. The image the public forms about me has always been among my least concerns anyways”. He left the sugar cube on the desk, on a corner that wasn’t filled with papers and documents.

Watari put a hand on L’s shoulder. He silently wondered what mistake he had made in raising L in order to cause…all of this. 

“I can’t know exactly how you feel, L. But I can only tell you this; you know very well that I have never intervened with your life choices until now. This is the very first time I do so. The only thing I ask of you is to think about what I’ve been telling you these three years, and to take a better look at Near once he’s back from school”.

L pretended to stare at the scattered papers on his desk, but in reality his attention was entirely focused on Watari’s words.

“I will think it over, but I cannot promise that your wish for three years now will come true”.

“I don’t want you to promise me that, L”. Watari continued. “I only want to have your word that if, for whatever reason, Near tells you he is unhappy with you, and asks you to... break up, you’ll let him go”.

L felt a chilly shiver run down his curved spine. _“You should first ask me if I can bear to do such a thing…”_

Of course, in case something akin to Watari’s words occurred, L had no intention of keeping Near close to him against his will, but it would surely be difficult for him. Exceedingly difficult. He shuddered at the mere thought of it happening.

“Do I have your word, L?”

Fortunately for the detective, he didn’t need to answer, because a soft knocking at the office door interrupted their discussion.

Both men turned their gazes to the half-opened door. A small, fragile-looking white-haired boy with equally white clothes that looked like pajamas and an equally white school-bag on his back peeked out of the opening.

“Near?” Asked the detective, in an almost worried tone.

L glanced at the clock on the wall. Near wasn’t supposed to be home from school until at least forty-five more minutes. He knew so because it was him and Watari who picked him up every day. He also noticed that the boy was almost completely supporting his weight on the wall.

“Near, are you feeling alright?” The caretaker also asked.

“I’m just fine”. Near reassured them. “A professor happened to be absent today, so school hours were over for our class a period too early”.

“You didn’t call for us to pick you up”. L stated. “Why?”

“I didn’t want to interrupt your work”. The boy explained.

“And how did you manage to come here?”

“…On foot”. Near replied hesitantly. “School is only about a block away from here anyways”.

Hearing those words, L jumped abruptly from his chair and approached his successor. “Why did you come on foot, Near? You know very well that you shouldn’t pointlessly tire your legs out by crossing long distances. You have difficulties even at walking the perimeter of the house, how in the world did you manage to get here from school?”

“…There were some difficulties…” The child admitted.

Ever since his early childhood, Near had felt no attraction for the concept of walking whatsoever. He didn’t understand why he himself should waste energy each time he wanted to move, since there was always someone close to carry him. Besides, the only times he needed to move would be to go from the living room to his room, or the opposite, to play with different toys. His parents died before teaching him how to walk, despite their meticulous attempts before their death. Near, not having any other relatives was transferred to an orphanage. There, everyone was much too busy to actually show him how to walk. Since he was small and light, they just carried him everywhere. Meanwhile, he didn’t show any particular interest at learning how to walk by himself either. That resulted in the bones of his legs never being able to develop completely properly.

“You shouldn’t have attempted that”.

L bended over to where Near stood and lifted him up from the floor, wrapping his arms around him. The boy’s legs felt instantly relieved, not being forced to support his weight and the weight of the bag anymore. Of course, Near knew it would have been difficult to cross such a big (for him) distance. But he chose to endure the exhausting pain that had spread itself along his legs, rather than interrupt L from his work.

“And as if the fact that you came here by yourself weren’t enough,…” L began, removing the school-bag from Near’s shoulders with one hand, and leaving it on the floor, next to the wall. “…You were obliged to carry the bag along with you. Honestly, I sometimes wonder whether the objects tucked inside are actually books or some sort of stones”.

This brought a smile to the white-haired boy’s face, while both of them seemed to have momentarily forgotten Watari’s presence in the room. “I assure you, if one excludes the action figures I carry with me for in-between the periods, and my cellphone, everything else is a book. Besides, we didn’t have a particularly loaded schedule today”.

“If that was your ‘light’ schedule, I really don’t want to think about how your ‘loaded’ must be”.

“Watari, could you please serve lunch in while?” L said afterwards.

The elderly man nodded. “Of course, L”.

Then, the mentor and his student left the room. After their exit, the caretaker sighed in annoyance.

“Once the kid comes home from school and says he’s walked a couple of meters, he just abandons everything and coddles him…” He mumbled, evidently frustrated with the situation. “As if there are no other responsibilities for us. No work, no cases, no investigations, no interrogations, not anything. We only care about whether Near has gone to school, if he’s being bullied by his classmates, and if he eats his sweet once a day”. His eyes inevitably fell on the untouched pastries L completely abandoned in favour of Near. “Tsk…tsk… He hasn’t even eaten his own sweets!”

L picked his successor up from the floor, where he had temporarily set him in order to take the black tennis shoes off his feet, and put him to sit carefully on the sofa of the living room.

“L,…” Near began. “I can accomplish some tasks on my own. I am nether sick, nor incapacitated”.

The detective sat next to the boy on the couch in that bizarre way of his. “You cannot”. He argued. “Had you attempted to stand and walk towards here from the office, you would have succeeded only in damaging your legs more”.

Near sighed quietly and lay back on the couch, supporting his head on the arm of the furniture. His finger started twirling a strand of his white hair. “You know I can’t sit idle like this. I want my toys, L”.

“Which toys do you want? I could bring them to you”.

The child appeared to be contemplating it for a few seconds. “I want…the panda you brought me from China. I also want… the rabbit you brought me from Turkey. They both are in our bedroom, on the second shelf of the library”.

It seemed a bit strange to L that Near asked for stuffed animals. When he came home from school he usually played with his Legos, or some other toys that focused on construction. But he didn’t say anything. Just as Near told him, he went to their room. Indeed, both stuffed animals were on the second shelf of their library, next to each other. He took them carefully from there, returned to the living room and delivered them to their owner.

“How was school today?” Asked L, reassuming his previous position on the sofa.

“Do you know that this question is wrong?”

“Elaborate on ‘wrong’”.

Near focused his attention on his toys, without looking at his mentor. He made them hug each other in a way so intimate, that the embrace could hardly be considered a hug between relatives.

“It is a question one can easily answer with just an adverb. With the most common of answers being ‘fine’. But, like this, the one who poses the question (the parent, the majority of times) gives the child the opportunity to answer in one word. If the parent really wishes to elicit more pieces of information about life at school from their child, they should try to make the child tell them by transforming the question accordingly… Don’t you agree?”

“Not completely. Having our case in mind, I wouldn’t say that, by posing this question I expect to hear about every incident that happened at school in every tiny detail. I know that if you don’t want to, I cannot force you to tell me”.

“You are not my parent”.

Following Near’s orders, the panda gave the rabbit a small kiss.

“I am not”. The young man agreed. “But I don’t think there’s any need for me to be your parent in order to understand that you are trying to avoid being questioned as to why you came home on foot”.

“…You are mistaken”. Near answered after a few seconds, his attention still on the furry animals.

L suddenly grabbed the panda from his successor’s hands, wanting to distract him and to make their eyes meet. He held the stuffed animal close to both their faces. “Near, you’re disappointing me. Is that the way I taught you to bluff?”

Finally, after quite some time, he looked it the detective’s eyes. “What exactly do you want to hear, L?”

L’s free hand moved to his mouth, where his thumb hovered between his lips. “I’d like you to tell me why you didn’t call me, if you don’t mind”.

“Why should I call you?”

“Now you’re making some improvement”. L commented and put the panda on the couch, although he still held it by its leg. “For Watari and me to pick you up from school”.

“I didn’t want to interrupt you from work”. Near replied.

L sat normally for once (an extremely rare sight) and withdrew his thumb from his mouth. He made the panda approach Near’s rabbit. “Now you are just saying nonsense”.

“I’m sorry?” Near asked and arched an eyebrow slightly.

“You are already well aware I do not mind at all when you are the one interrupting me. I could remind you several examples, if you want. Therefore, the reason you didn’t call has to be related to something else”. L made the panda extend a furred paw to the rabbit.

Near bowed his head down a little, silently recognising L as the victor of their little argument. In any case, he knew he wouldn’t be able to hide it from him for much longer… He made the rabbit accept the paw the panda was offering.

“Is it related to Watari?” L asked.

The child lifted his snowy-white head and looked at the detective across him. “…It is…” He finally admitted, defeated.

Near left his previous position and crawled onto L’s lap (where, he found out, was much better for his half-injured legs).

“Would you like to tell me?” L wrapped an arm around the boy’s slender waist, to keep him from falling.

Near huffed quietly. “I shouldn’t be telling you this by myself. You know very well how the situation with Watari is. Had I called you to pick me up, that would have only given him one more reason to enumerate when he says I distract you from your work”.

“Indeed, you are right”. Agreed L. “But, if something were to happen to you on the way here, and we were forced to visit the hospital because of you, that would have given him many more reasons to enumerate”.

“Most likely”. The child nodded. "But this time, the result is what matters; I have successfully returned home without having engaged in any accidents. The next time a professor is absent I will notify you, if that’s what you want”.

“It’s not just about Watari. If I’m being honest, I’d rather you never came back from school by yourself again. I would worry far too much if something like were to happen frequently”. The eccentric detective confessed. “The number of possible accidents is much too big”.

Near rested his head on L’s chest, and a small smirk appeared on his face. He had an idea. “Even if I were to come home accompanied by a friend of mine?”

L tilted his head on the left, remaining silent for a few moments. He was trying to process what he had just heard his successor say. “…There is such a possibility?”

“Well, not ‘friend’, exactly…” Near explained, and his hand got tangled in white locks.

“Acquaintance, then?” L suggested.

“No. And actually, it’s not a boy we are speaking of”.

“…A girl, so to say?”

“Yes. There is a girl that… how does Mello put it?...Ah, yes…A girl that, I believe, ‘is coming onto me’”. 

L was perplexed. He didn’t know whether he was jealous (if it was even appropriate for him to be jealous of one of Near’s classmates in the first place) or if he was content the child had finally managed to acquire some human contact beside Watari and himself. (Although, he didn’t consider Near’s introverted nature to be a problem, since it’s similar to how he used to be at his age.)

“Well, if she is ‘coming onto you’, as you say, do you speak to her, at all?” He asked in the end.

Near frowned. “…If absolutely necessary…”

L sighed.

He was not sure now, either. Should he be relieved Near didn’t prefer the girl’s company to his, or should he be troubled Near wasn’t expressing the slightest desire to have any other human contact aside from the time they shared together?

“I see. Then, am I to assume the possibility of you returning from school with this girl is off?”

“Most certainly. She is extremely irritating. Oftentimes, she reminds me of Linda.” Near answered. “Let’s just say my only intention by mentioning her was to make you jealous. Admittedly, you look very amusing when you are jealous”.

The older man rolled his eyes intensely. “I have explained it to you countless times, Near. My… condition is something else, entirely different from jealousy. It is… a reasonable form of possessiveness. Besides, jealousy is a female trait”.

“I was under the impression those two were synonyms”.

“You were under the wrong impression, then”. The detective got up from the couch, lifting Near up with him too.

“Where are we going?” The boy asked, tying his hands around L’s neck.

“In the kitchen. Watari should be serving lunch any minute now”.

“Ah, Ryuuzaki!” Watari said once they got into the kitchen. “I was just about to call you. You can sit, it’s ready”.

Lunchtime was one of the few periods of the day Watari could feel at peace. He might need to make two different dishes every day (a special dish for L, full of cakes, pastries and other candy and a dish of normal food for him and Near), but at least he could supervise the two of them for a while. Because, ever since Near entered the dangerous age of pre-adolescence, the elderly man has been unable to find even a single moment of peace for himself. And from the moment they moved here, Watari is forced to make sudden ‘raids’ to their room to ensure both of them are sleeping (or that Near is asleep and L continues to work) and not doing…other things…

“How was your day at school, Near?” Watari asked.

The child lifted his gaze from his plate for a moment. “…Slightly dull. I find the subjects to be extremely easy”.

“I see. Well, if that’s the case, how about…-” The caretaker began, but he didn’t manage to complete his sentence.

“No”. He was interrupted by both teacher and pupil.

For they both knew what he was about to propose; Near stopping to go to school here and returning back at the orphanage, while L would continue working on his case. None of them agreed.

“If my memory serves its purpose, Watari…” Near started. “…What we originally agreed on was for me to follow you to America to study at a local school, while L would solve the case he has currently taken up. You didn’t object to that”.

“Besides, Near is well aware he can stop going to school anytime he wants”. L added.

Watari sighed. _“Those two grow more similar every day…”_ He thought. _“If only Near were his son… We wouldn’t have to worry about the whole matter of pedophilia then…”_

“I’m afraid you misunderstood me”. He said and got up from the table, rather irritated. “I only wanted to make sure Near is adapting fine to his new environment. If he is facing any difficulties, returning to England would be for his own good. But if you believe you can solve all of your problems with solely your intelligence, without the knowledge of someone more experienced, I quit. Assume the responsibilities of your cases, your homework and your relationship on your own. Boys, suit yourselves!”

After that, the elderly gentleman exited the kitchen. Once Near had lost him from his sight, he turned to L.

“Do you believe he’s actually affronted?” He asked, playing with his hair.

“By a 99% chance, no”. L responded, biting his thumb.

“Right. He’ll surely be making his raid at 2 AM to check on us again”.

L smiled. “Of course. I trust him completely to keep making those raids”.

The eccentric detective jumped off his chair and opened the fridge to rout around in its interior.

“What are you looking for?” Near asked him.

He didn’t receive an answer until L found what he was searching for and hid it behind his back, advancing towards his successor.

“I’m afraid it’s time for your sweet”.

Among the health problems Near had since birth, low blood sugar was also one of them. Because of that predicament, the pediatrist had advised the caretakers at the orphanage to give him a small sweet every day, so that his blood sugar can maintain normal levels. Which, should someone take into account Near despises sweets, is a daily nightmare for him.

In an instant, the boy’s lips puckered, as if he had just smelled something really bad. “Oh. I should know”. He muttered. “Honestly, the only sweets that can be of some value are Kinder Eggs. One might have to taste the unpleasant sweetness of sugar, but at least, there is a toy as a reward in the inside”.

“I know. Which is why I sent Watari to buy Kinder Eggs for you”.

L revealed the item he was holding behind his back. It was a Kinder Surprise Egg. Once Near set eyes on it, he leaped at him to grab it, as if he had been unfed for days. But L apparently had other ideas; he quickly moved it out of the albino’s reach.

“Not like that”. He stated, almost strictly.

“…What do you mean?”

“I have to make sure you’ll eat the whole egg normally”.

“Is there an abnormal way for someone to eat a Kinder Egg?”

“No. There is the way of not eating it at all. I have seen you repeatedly cut the egg open and leave it untouched if you happen to be unsatisfied with the toy inside”.

“It is not my fault if they choose to place basketballs as a gift…”

L didn’t continue the discussion. Instead, he sat on the chair next to Near and took the wrapper off the chocolate egg. He put the sweet near the child’s lips, who instantly withdrew.

“I don’t want to eat it”. He declared stubbornly, but still in a monotone, crossing his hands in front of his chest.

“Ah, but aren’t you curious to see what’s inside?”

“Perhaps. But why eat it at all when I can just break it and take the toy?”

L broke a small piece off the egg, taking care not to reveal the plastic, yellow yolk inside and held it close to Near’s mouth.

“Well, you know what I always say, don’t you?”

“Of course. You tell me so every time I have to eat a sweet”. The child answered disinterestedly.

“Candy and sweets are the best food for the brain during a case”. Both said simultaneously.

“Exactly”. L added. “Think of the homework you have to complete for school as a case. If you don’t have any energy left, how are you going to solve it?”

“Fruits provide an organism with energy as well”.

“Correct”.

“But you never give me a fruit after lunch. You don’t eat that many fruits yourself during cases either”.

“You know why that is. Fruits contain fructose. Your organism, on the other hand, needs glucose, which is mainly contained in sweets”.

At last, Near ate the piece of chocolate off L’s fingers and swallowed it after a lot of chewing, struggling not to cringe. That brought a small smile on the man’s lips next to him.

“Sometimes,…” The boy began. “…I think that if we were given a choice on the matter of birth, I would rather not having been born at all. Having so many health problems has become rather tedious…”

“That wouldn’t have been much of a wise choice”. L commented as he cut the next piece from the egg.

“Why is that?”

“If you hadn’t been born at all, I would have been left alone”.

Winter was rather heavy this year. So the night was quick to make its appearance. Inside the darkness of an office, a child was thinking.

_“L, when I told you before I’d rather not having been born… I was not completely honest with you. I probably should have worded it differently…”_

The boy, who was dressed in all-white pajamas, as if wanting to make a contrast with the darkness surrounding him, was laying on his stomach on the carpet of the room. He was done with his homework a long time ago. At the moment, his little white hands were busy with executing a battle among his robots.

_“Of course I would want to be born”._ Near continued his inner monologue. _“If I hadn’t been born I never would have been able to meet you. I would just… rather not having been born… like this… I would give anything to have been born ten years earlier… Or at the very least five. Had I come into this world five or ten years earlier, there would be no need for us to hide. There would be no need to listen to Watari’s mumbling each time I hug or kiss you… There would be no need for you to carry the social label of the ‘pedophile’”._

One out of the four robots fell down, defeated. The sound of its plastic body collapsing on the floor disrupted the otherwise deafening silence.

_“I have thought of this many times in the past. If someone else besides Watari learns of this, there will be serious problems. Everyone will blame you, for no reason. Without knowing what is actually happening. Because that’s how the situation is in their minds. You would be the ‘big, bad, twisted man’ who corrupted the ‘small, innocent, clueless child’. That side of interpretation is rooted very deeply in their ignorant heads”._

Another robot fell. The two toys remaining prepared themselves for the final confrontation.

_“If I had a choice on that matter as well… from one standpoint I suppose it would be more convenient for me to be female. The fact that I am a male only equals to just one more social label for you. Even if I become an adult some day, there will still be those people who attach the label of the ‘homosexual’ to you. Which is sad, if someone takes into account we live in the 21 st century and such forms of social racism still exist. On the other hand…when I think of you, L…When I recall the way you just don’t care in the slightest about the image others form about you (no matter who those might be), the way disobey even Watari himself to be able to stay with me, I am led at the same conclusion every time”._

The smaller in size robot fell. The victor of the battle was Optimus Prime, exactly like Near had planned.

_“Society, along with its rules and labels, can go suck it”._

The silence around the child broke once more, by the opening of the door.

A hunched figure entered the room. Taking care not to step onto any of the boy’s robots, the figure crouched next to him.

“Near, are you playing by yourself?”

“As you can see”.

“I’m sorry. I would have come to see you earlier, but there was some work that couldn’t be delayed”.

“It’s alright. Did you deduce anything useful?”

“A few things, actually. I will present it all to the FBI tomorrow, after I drive you to school”.

Near sat up on the carpet. “Are you sure you don’t want me to go by myself? The whole FBI cannot wait for me to go to school to be informed of your progress”.

“Absolutely. After what happened today there is no way I’ll let you go alone. Besides, that is a concern of the FBI, not mine. They should have thought more carefully before asking for my help. They should have known the way I work is peculiar”.

A small smile appeared on Near’s lips. “There’s no doubt of that”.

L smiled slightly too. “Would you like to go inside? It has gone late”.

Near nodded. L then lifted him slowly off the floor. Once he balanced him in his arms, he started walking towards their shared bedroom.

That was the best moment of the day for Near. He didn’t want to go to school to be first in his classes again, or to correct his classmates. Nor did he want to ‘socialize’, obviously. No. He just wanted to be able to live those few moments every night before going to sleep. To be able to feel L’s arms around his waist each time he lifted him up to go to their room. Or to be able to feel L’s presence next to him as they lay down together and the man held him tightly in his arms. So that L’s heartbeat could lull him to sleep, and not Mello revising the next day’s subjects from the other side of the wall. To be sure he wouldn’t fall on the bed next to L, and then wake up in the morning, only find his side empty, because he had to return to the furthest corner of the world.

But now, thanks to school, they could be closer to each other, in the more physical sense at least. L still devoted most of his time to his cases, but Near wasn’t bothered by that in the slightest. Because now all that separated them was a door (and Watari, periodically), not some million kilometers.

They reached their room far too soon, according to Near. Now L had to let him go again, which he did. He set the pale-haired boy down on the bed gently, and he himself sat on the small office of the bedroom. The fact that he carried Near to their room so he could sleep, rarely meant he’d stop working. The child was a little disappointed L would be working tonight too, but refrained from complaining. He just hugged his stuffed panda (he assumed Watari had moved it here from the living room), covered himself with the warm comforter and lay down on his side.

“Good night, L”.

“Good night, Near”.

If Near had attempted to stand and turn around as many times as he had in bed, he was sure he’d be dizzy by now. The time was 1:53 and sleep still refused to embrace him. His thoughts kept slipping out of his control, constantly circling around his classmates and the kids at school.

Most of them had already developed some kind of relationship with their peers. Some of them didn’t even make the slightest of efforts to hide it from the rest of the school population. And from what Near had observed, the kisses boys and girls exchanged were far from innocent, considering their age.

He had promised to L and to himself he wouldn’t be in a hurry to grow up, but now that his daily routine had been altered, he found it very difficult to keep his word.

The question kept eating away at his brain like a cloth-eating moth ravaged a closet.

Why was it considered perfectly normal for two peers to have a romantic affair, whilst cases like L and him had to avoid third people learning of their relationship at all costs?

Near found it to be extremely unfair.

Of course, he understood the reasons why they had to hide, but that didn’t necessarily mean he liked it.

After more thinking, he was led to the conclusion he wouldn’t be able to sleep.

“L, I can’t sleep”.

“So I’ve gathered. I have been listening to you tossing around nearly every seven minutes for 2 hours and 43 minutes now”. L tuned his wheeled chair around to look at Near. “I hope I haven’t infected you”. He teased, but the tone of his voice remained even.

L was a chronic insomniac. That was the reason he continued working even at night.

“I doubt it”. Near responded. “My mind is just unable to stop thinking”.

“It would appear we have the same symptoms then. I haven’t been able to further concentrate on the case for half an hour now. I don’t think there’s any point in continuing tonight”. Said L, turning his laptop off, closing the lid and lying on the bed as well. “What is your mind unable to stop thinking about?”

Near brought his body closer to L’s and his left hand started twirling a lock of with hair.

“L, do you know that most of my classmates are already in a relationship?”

“Even if I hadn’t been aware of it before, you just informed me”.

“And do you also know that, if we were to sort the types of kisses to three categories, with the first category consisting of a quick kiss on the cheek or on the mouth, the second category of a more intense kiss, and the third of a kiss exclusively shared between lovers, some of my classmates exchange kisses that belong to the third category?”

“Do you plan on getting anywhere with this point?”

“And do you know that, according to the same grouping, our kisses would be placed in the first category?”

_“Exactly what I didn’t want him to touch upon…”_ L said silently in his mind. 

“I see. The answer is no”. His words were steady and he sounded adamant.

“Technically, at least, you can’t yet give me an answer, since I haven’t posed a question”.

Before diving deeper into the matter, L got under the covers too, sliding his arms around Near’s skinny body. He didn’t stare at the boy as he spoke. Rather, he held the child close to his chest, as he was gazing at the closed door with an almost vacant stare.

“Assuming your next phrase would be a question, which would be related to the matter of kisses you referenced earlier, I took the initiative to answer before the question was even posed.

Near quietly greeted his teeth. Sometimes he wouldn’t have minded at all if L had been less intelligent on such matters.

“Would you be so kind to vindicate your answer?”

“I found it redundant, to be honest, but since you claim to not understand, I’ll explain it to you. You are still too young. Kisses of that kind are not proper for your age”.

Near’s free hand clutched at the older man’s white shirt, wanting to remind him to look into his eyes.

“L, I am thirteen years old”.

At last, L took into account the small hand clinging to his shirt and focused his gaze on his successor.

“To begin with, you are not thirteen years old yet. You’ll be thirteen at August 24. For the time being you are still twelve years, four months and approximately fifteen days old. You are too young for us to proceed on this stage”.

“That may be, but, L…-”

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t use the excuse ‘others do it too’. ‘Others’ might take part in a lot of things. Just because a habit is adopted by many that does not make it correct. Although, I am surprised we are having this conversation together. You have always been mature enough not to use that excuse…” L appeared to reminisce older memories for a moment. “But I suppose that, despite your intellect, you are still too little, emotionally speaking, to be able to distinguish right from wrong in such circumstances”.

“I am not”. Near insisted.

“We are not having an argument of the sort ‘you are – I’m not’ over this matter. Now, if your curiosity has been satisfied, and your mind can stop thinking, I suggest you try to sleep. Otherwise, I might decide you need more sleep and not wake you up in time for the first period”.

“The truth is, I have one last question”. The child confessed, leaning his body to L’s as much as it was humanly possible.

“I am all ears”.

“What were you thinking about and were unable to focus on the case?”

The thoughts plaguing L hadn’t visited him at night. They had remained in his mind since noon. They just decided late at night was the most proper time to make themselves known and stop existing as mere memories.

_“…The only thing I ask of you is to think about what I’ve been telling you these three years, and to take a better look at Near once he’s back from school….. I only want to have your word that if, for whatever reason, Near tells you he is unhappy with you…”_

The memory of Watari repeating those phrases had been embedded in his mind ever since the moment the elderly man had uttered them. Since that moment, it has been playing in his head continuously, like an old CD player that keeps repeating the same track.

L did take a better look at Near. He observed him carefully, being alert for any changes that might occur in his behaviour.

…But he remained unsure about whether the boy was happy with him or not.

If he was unhappy, L wouldn’t blame him. L did nothing but deny him things. These rules though…they existed for his own good. It would be ridiculously easy for L to just proceed to the next level of their relationship. But this wasn’t the way he wanted things to turn out.

Of course, they would do everything together, eventually, when the time was right. For now, it was rather early, L had judged.

Meanwhile, a relatively long pause had overshadowed the conversation. But Near just waited. Exactly like L waited when he stopped mid-dialogue for whatever reason.

“…Near, if you are able to assess at the moment, would you say you feel…happy with me?” The detective finally asked.

_“Watari has surely been of help here…”_ The child mentally contemplated before answering.

“I obviously am. Had I been not, I wouldn’t continue in this relationship with you, would I? By the way, a piece of advice; don’t pay too much mind to Watari about this matter”.

“How did you know I was affected by Watari to ask you this question?”

“Well, you could say…it shows”. Near explained, somewhat proud of his correct assumption.

L offered a slight smile to his successor. “I know, you are right. But either way, I’m glad that’s how you feel”. He kissed Near’s forehead softly. “I suppose you are ready to sleep now, yes?”

The white-haired boy nodded and rested his head on L’s chest.

“Are you going to sleep?” He asked, almost in a whisper.

“It depends. I may sleep, I may not sleep”.

“In any case, good night”.

Smiling, L started caressing Near’s snowy curls affectionately.

“Good night, Near”.

An extremely relieved Watari released a deep breath he hadn’t realised he was holding, outside the boys’ room.

“Thank God…”He muttered to himself.

Now that he felt as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, he decided it was time to return to his own bedroom.

_“Well done, L…You managed to deny him a kiss of erotic nature, for now. But what do you plan on doing when the kid’s requests become more and more serious, as he’s growing up? Will you be able to convince him to wait, or will you give in to his pleading?”_

Sleep was not something common at L, Near and Watari’s house. At most times it was L who awoke first (if he had slept at all), then Watari, and finally, L woke Near up to get ready for school.

Just like today. L’s brief nap was over at about 6 AM, but he didn’t get up from the bed. He knew Near wouldn’t like it if he woke up and found he was no longer next to his side. So he preferred to stay with him for a little while, and to observe him as he slept.

The boy’s pale face was currently wearing a mask of serenity and relaxation. White locks fell upon his closed eyes, partly covering his eyelids. One of his little hands was still clutching at L’s shirt, while the other held the stuffed panda tightly close to him. His white lips were…-

L instantly shifted his gaze to the door. He had never been a man of particular restraint and didn’t want to push his luck.

He could hear Watari moving towards the kitchen. As he listened to his handler preparing their breakfast, and as he tried to recall all the clues he had concentrated on his case, the time passed. It was now 6:40, and he decided it was time to wake Near up and for himself to leave the bed.

He caressed the boy’s hair gently again. “Near, it’s time for you to get up…”He said in a low tone.

The response was immediate; Near’s dark eyes opened just a few seconds later.

“Good morning…”The child mumbled sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

“How did you sleep?”

“Satisfyingly, I suppose. Did you sleep at all?”

“About two and a half hours I believe”. L answered.

“Better than nothing. Has Watari woken up?”

“From 6 o’clock”.

“Well then, let’s reassure him by going to the kitchen”.

Near liked this daily routine. L waking him up every morning, the three of them having breakfast together, with Watari, and then both Watari and L taking him to school. L accompanied him to the school gates, where he left him to go to the classroom by himself and came to pick him up at noon, once the classes were over. The great detective had never been late. Not even once. He was always outside the gates five minutes before the last bell rang.

And one of Near’s favourite moments was the drive with the car.

“Remind me, Near, how many types of cells exist?”

“There exist two types of cells. The eukaryotic cell and the prokaryotic cell”. Near replied automatically.

“Tell me about their differences”.

“Ridiculous question. Eukaryotic cells contain a nucleus, which prokaryotic cells do not. In addition, prokaryotes are single-celled organisms, while eukaryotes can be either single-celled or multicellular… L, do you remember that I am writing a test in Biology today?”

Near’s mentor nodded with a smile. “Of course. I remember it from the moment you told me and thought I could help you do a quick revision now, since we didn’t have the time earlier. And I’m glad to see you are prepared well”.

“It was nothing special”. Near shrugged indifferently. “Everything there was to study, I have already been taught at the orphanage since I was eight years old. I just refreshed it a little”.

L petted the boy’s head gently. “Exactly what I expected from my number one successor”.

Unwillingly, Near’s pallid cheeks were tainted by a faint shade of pink.

An annoyed cough from the driver’s seat interrupted their discussion. “L, Near, we are here”.

“Thank you, Watari”.

The young man and the child got out of the car, stepping on the pavement outside the school.

“Are you sure your legs will be alright?” L asked as he was helping Near put his school bag on his shoulders.

“Positively. There’s no need for you to worry”.

“Good. Then Watari and I will be here in time to pick you up at noon. If anything happens, don’t forget to notify us with your cellphone”.

“I shall take that into consideration”.

Near stood up on his toes, pulled L down to his height from his shirt and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

“Bye L, I’ll see you at noon”. He waved good-bye at the detective and began walking towards the entrance of the school.

“Have a nice day…” L whispered almost absently. Two of his fingers ghosted over the spot where Near’s lips had touched.

_“But this is sick, L!”_ He recalled Roger exclaiming.

_“He’s but a child!”_ Watari kept on saying.

_“Tell me something I don’t already know…”_

L slowly put one of his hands in the pocket of his jeans, as he bit the thumb of his other hand, a sign of thought. Watari and Roger might be, in fact, right. He might as well be a perverted pederast. But, after being in a relationship with Near for three years, it was impossible for L to leave him. Despite what Watari said, despite what Roger said, despite what society said, despite what everyone said. Besides, feelings are not something one can control with the power of their mind.

He stayed outside the school's entrance until Near’s colourless hair had almost disappeared from his sight.

Taking one last look at his… boyfriend (it still felt a little odd calling him that), the world’s three greatest detectives smiled faintly and left.

**Author's Note:**

> I may or may not have completely screwed up the canon...Oops!
> 
> Thank you for putting up with me so far!


End file.
